Shopping with heart: How Pilgrims Shops power hospice care
Every bargain, every bag donated, every volunteer shift – it all adds up to something extraordinary.
Across east Kent, Pilgrims Hospices’ 33 shops are more than stores; they’re vibrant community hubs where preloved treasures find new homes, people shop affordably, and every purchase helps to fund hospice care.
More than shops: They are welcoming spaces on the high street
Pilgrims Shops provide:
Affordable clothing and household essentials
Friendly, welcoming spaces on the high street
Opportunities to volunteer, learn new skills, and connect with others
Shopping second-hand also supports the planet by keeping items out of landfill, reducing demand for new products, and lowering CO₂ emissions all while raising income to support Pilgrims Hospices care services.
Ramsgate: Plans to expand into neighbouring units, offering more stock and space
Retail events making a difference
Special sales like Kilo, Media, Jumble, Table Top, and pop-up events bring new shoppers, create excitement, and raise more for hospice care – all in a fun, community-focused way.
Volunteer voices
“I started volunteering to give back, but I’ve gained so much. The team feels like family, and knowing our efforts help local hospice care makes every shift worthwhile.”
– Pilgrims shop volunteer
Be part of something special
Shop Find preloved fashion, furniture, books, and homeware.
DonateTurn unwanted items into someone else’s treasure.
Together, we’re turning everyday shopping into extraordinary care.
Ashford Discount shop
Pilgrims Retail by the numbers
By December 2025, our shops achieved remarkable results:
1,145,646 items sold
297,714 clothing items given a second life
172,065 household items rehomed
122,095 books passed on to new readers
61,208 toys enjoyed by families
10,095 furniture items sold with 1,723 deliveries
4,645 new Gift Aid donors
All made possible by 635 volunteers and 102 staff – every figure tells a story of generosity.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
The difference research makes: Helping us improve care for people with delirium
Photograph: Mandy Timms, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, who leads on a delirium project at Pilgrims Hospices
Did you know that delirium affects around one in three people when they are admitted to a hospice or palliative care unit?
A further third may develop it during their stay.
Delirium can cause confusion, drowsiness, agitation, or changes in awareness, and people may seem unlike themselves. It can be frightening and upsetting, not only for the person experiencing it, but also for the family and friends around them. It can also be difficult to spot, as the signs are not always obvious.
That’s why improving how we recognise and care for people with delirium is such an important part of our work at Pilgrims Hospices.
A Pilgrims project is already making a difference
Five years ago, a specialist working group at Pilgrims, led by Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Mandy Timms, developed a Delirium Toolkit to support staff in preventing, recognising and managing delirium in the inpatient unit.
The toolkit includes:
A simple step-by-step checklist for staff
Guidance on the right assessments and questions to ask
Making delirium part of daily team discussions
Information leaflets and posters to help patients and loved ones understand what delirium is
Since introducing the toolkit, we’ve seen fewer people experiencing delirium, and staff tell us it has made a real difference to the care they provide.
Taking part in national research
Even with this success, we want to do more. That’s why Pilgrims Hospices is now part of an important national research study called Dampen-Delirium II.
Being led in the hospice by Mandy, this study is exploring new ways to support hospice staff to work together in recognising and managing delirium. The aim is to improve care and comfort for patients even further.
This study is being undertaken by a research team at the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre at the University of Hull, and funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR 161360).
Pilgrims is one of 20 hospices across the UK taking part.
Researchers will compare how this new learning approach works in different hospices and explore:
How it fits into busy care settings
What helps it work well
Whether it offers good value
How it could be used in places like care homes or people’s own homes
Why this matters to you
By taking part in national studies, we are not only improving care here in east Kent, but also helping shape hospice care for people and families across the UK.
Eye donation – What do you know?
Did you know that many people cared for in hospices are able to donate their eyes after death, even if they’re not eligible to donate organs?
Research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR 174942) and led by the University of Southampton, working with NHS Blood and Transplant, found that eye donation is possible for many hospice patients. Yet these conversations don’t always happen, even though evidence shows people are often open to discussing it.
Eye donation can help restore sight for people living with serious eye disease, injury, or conditions present from birth. Donated tissue is used in delicate operations that can transform someone’s quality of life.
Pilgrims Hospices is now working alongside NHS Blood and Transplant to ensure patients who wish to donate are given the opportunity to talk about it and patients and families are provided with clear, sensitive information as part of end-of-life care planning.
It’s all about choice, ensuring that anyone who wants to leave this special gift has the chance to do so.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
Putting patients first: An update on how data is shaping better care at Pilgrims
At Pilgrims Hospices, caring for people at the end of life is about more than treating illness – it’s about comfort, dignity, emotional support, its about helping patients and their families feel less alone.
One of the ways we make sure we are giving the best possible care is by listening carefully to the people we support and learning from their experiences.
We ask simple, thoughtful questions about things such as pain, nausea, breathlessness, anxiety and how supported someone feels, their need for information and concerns about equipment and similar.
These insights help our teams understand not just what someone is going through, but how care is making a difference day by day. Increasingly, we are also looking at wellbeing (including emotional support and how carers are coping), gaining a fuller picture of each person’s experience.
The learning from this is powerful. Many people come to Pilgrims with difficult symptoms. For example, a significant number of patients arrive experiencing high levels of pain. During their time with us, that changes.
We see clear improvements in comfort, with far fewer people reporting severe pain as care continues. Breathlessness and other distressing symptoms show similar patterns of improvement.
Just as importantly, families tell us they feel less anxious.
When people feel informed, supported and reassured, they can focus on spending precious time together.
Aaron Salter, Business Intelligence Lead at Pilgrims Hospices, explains:
“We’re not just looking at numbers, we’re listening to what patients and families tell us about their symptoms, their worries and how supported they feel. When we see pain levels reduce, nausea or breathlessness ease, or family anxiety fall, that shows us our care is making a real difference. It also helps us learn and keep improving.”
These insights help clinical teams tailor care to each individual. If something isn’t working as well as it could, they can respond quickly and adapt.
Dr Pia Amsler, Medical Director at Pilgrims Hospices, adds:
“These measures help us understand how someone is really feeling physically and emotionally. They guide our teams to adjust care, respond quickly to distressing symptoms and support families as well as patients. It reassures us that what we do each day truly improves comfort, dignity and quality of life because we act on what patients and families tell us is important to them.”
This work is also attracting interest beyond east Kent, with other hospices keen to learn from our approach. Ultimately, these insights show the difference your support makes helping people feel more comfortable, more supported and less anxious during an incredibly difficult time.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
Fundraising together, caring together
Thank you for a record breaking year and here’s to 2026!
As we move into spring, we’re looking back with huge gratitude at what you our incredible supporters helped to achieve.
It’s been an extraordinary period for Pilgrims Hospices fundraising, and the impact of those funds is already being felt by patients and families across east Kent.
Every event, every step, every pedal, and every donation helps to ensure specialist hospice care is there when people need it most. Behind the fundraising totals are stories of love, remembrance, community and people coming together to honour someone special, give back for care received or to just take part and enjoy a fantastic Pilgrims event experience.
Walking and cycling challenges remained at the heart of the Pilgrims calendar. Supporters celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Cycle Challenge, marking the milestone by surpassing the previous year’s fundraising total and raising the highest total to date of £157,500.
Then came a truly historic moment: the Pilgrims Way Challenge raised £197,000, the largest amount ever raised by a single Pilgrims event. A phenomenal achievement by everyone who walked, volunteered, supported and donated.
There was thrill-seeking too, with brave supporters taking part in skydives and wing walks, while runners represented Pilgrims in the London and Brighton Marathons, alongside 10Ks, half marathons and races across the region.
2026 began in style with our ever-popular Christmas Tree Recycling scheme. The scheme raised an incredible £84,000, a staggering fundraising total made possible by our wonderful local community, dedicated staff and volunteers, and local businesses who brought their teams, vans and a positive can do attitude to make the event happen.
Cycle Challenge 1
Marathon 1
Pilgrims Way Challenge 1
Fundraising magic also thrives in everyday community life.
Across east Kent, supporters organised:
Bake sales, quiz nights and coffee mornings
Garden parties and sponsored walks
Pub events and wheelie bin races
Supermarket and community collections
Sports matches, concerts and workplace events
Together, these efforts help Pilgrims provide compassionate care in people’s homes, in our hospices in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford, and via our 24-hour advice line.
Your support helps manage pain and symptoms, supports families emotionally and practically, and ensures no one faces life-limiting illness alone.
Your energy, kindness and generosity mean that when local families need us most, we can be there – with comfort, dignity and heart.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
Pilgrims Hospices Canterbury Modernisation: Update on our progress
We’re pleased to share that at the end of January 2026, we reached an important milestone: our full planning application for the modernisation and redevelopment of our London Road hospice was submitted to Canterbury City Council.
This follows months of careful design work, conversations with staff and volunteers, and feedback from patients, families, and our local community. It’s been a real team effort, and we’re grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts and ideas along the way.
What the modernisation will bring?
Modernising our site will ensure that the facilities for patients, families, staff and volunteers at Canterbury will meet the future needs of our community.
Your support is helping us shape a hospice that feels welcoming, calm and fit for the future. Our plans include:
A brighter, more accessible hospice environment, with spaces that feel comfortable and private for everyone who walks through our doors
A brand-new Inpatient Unit (IPU), with better access to the gardens, designed to meet the needs of people who rely on our care now and in the years ahead
Modernised Victorian buildings, keeping the character of our much-loved site while improving how the space works day to day
A new therapy centre, gym, sanctuary space and landscaped gardens, giving patients and families more places for gentle activity, reflection, and wellbeing
Environmentally responsible features, such as air-source heat pumps, solar panels and improvements to biodiversity
Better movement around the whole site, making it easier for visitors, staff and volunteers to get where they need to go
PHC Modernisation 3
PHC Modernisation 4
PHC Modernisation 2
PHC Modernisation 6
PHC Modernisation 8
PHC Modernisation 11
These changes will help ensure that the high-quality care we’re known for is matched by the setting in which it is delivered.
We’ll keep you posted as the planning process continues, and there will be plenty of opportunities for supporters to follow our progress and stay involved.
Looking ahead together
Pilgrims has been caring for local people from our Canterbury site for more than 40 years. This modernisation is an important step in ensuring we continue to offer specialist end-of-life care to our patients, and their families, in buildings that fully support the work of our teams.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
25th March 2026
Celebrating 25 years of care at Pilgrims Hospice Ashford
Photograph: Sue Warren, Reception Volunteer
This year, Pilgrims Hospice Ashford marks a very special milestone: 25 years of care, compassion and community since opening on 4 January 2001.
As the youngest of Pilgrims’ hospices, Ashford was guided by the lessons learned at Canterbury (1982) and Thanet (1992), but it was the local community that truly brought it to life. By 1998, east Kent needed more specialist hospice care.
The tranquil meadows at Willesborough were chosen for a purpose-built hospice offering inpatient care, community services and therapeutic support for patients and their families.
The £3.5 million fundraising target felt daunting, but the community response was extraordinary. Businesses, schools, charitable trusts, groups and individual supporters rallied behind the Hospice on the Hill Appeal 2000.
What seemed impossible became reality because people believed hospice care close to home mattered.
At the heart of those early days was founder Ann Robertson OBE, famously taking to a JCB for the 1999 groundbreaking. Her determination mirrored the spirit of the community that built the Ashford hospice from the ground up.
Pam Pullen Volunteer 1
Sarah Smith HCA Ashford 1
Pam Pullen, Reception Volunteer, and Sarah Smith, Healthcare Assistant
That spirit continues today through staff and volunteers working together to create warmth, dignity and comfort. Reception volunteers Jeanette Woodcock, Pam Pullen and Sue Warren, catering assistant Wendy Wigglesworth, and Healthcare Assistant Sarah Smith all remember the hospice from its early days.
Every role, paid or voluntary, is part of the caring community supporting patients and families.
Recent improvements, including the beautifully refurbished lounge, were made possible by community fundraising, local businesses and charitable foundations, offering brighter, more welcoming spaces for families.
For the 25th birthday, displays of memorabilia and shared stories have celebrated the many lives touched by the Ashford hospice.
“Reaching 25 years is a proud and emotional moment,” says Martin Kemp, Hospice Services Manager. “It’s a chance to feel nostalgia for the past while seeing new projects and plans for the future. This birthday celebrates our community and acts as a springboard into the next chapter.”
Ashford’s story is one written by its community, past, present and future.
Wendy Wigglesworth, Catering Assistant, said:
“I feel very honoured to work at the hospice. I have met some amazing people, patients, relatives and staff over the past 25 years.”
Jeanette Woodcock, Reception Volunteer, with Wendy Wigglesworth, Catering Assistant
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
